The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-07-09
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M ,toO AA&lO UoR0.30ot OF the little
Xlltge ~ Turtle Creek stands q
icomf6EtSbls kKmhouse, surrounded
BY lNketantial outbuildings, -four.
hhnS orchards and fsrtae, veil
2sd fields. Here for many years,
almost, If not qqite, half q century,
Thomas Mckee has made bis home.
He Apd bic xits Mertha-a oohldiah
,touMj, How past middle life-have
toiled, and saved. and stored up
yicAee, Living their quiet, thrifty life
19 behce and plenty, undisturbed
by outside or inside turmoil, until
May 10, 1887. Then strange, su-
pernatural occurrences threw them
into q state of excitement that
speedily Affected their neighbors
and are tho wonder of all who have
visited the farmhouse and sought
70 OnPavel the mystery. On the
syening Of that day Mr.. Mckee was
seated at q window reading. There
was neither light nor fire in the
room, hyt suddenly flames burst
fro,ml the window blind. Mr.. Nc.
Kse carried the burning blind out
Of the house and threw it down in
the yard, and although the flames
were bright and clear no smoke was
visible. The day following Mrs.
Mckee was reclining on a bed,
which she was startled by Ses;pg
the pillow on fire. As before, there
were flames, but no smoke. The
strangest part of the matter is that,
although about foot a in circum-
ference Of the ticking is burned,
not feather il scorched. The
ticking, sheets and quilts on the bed
have been burned in different
places, but the feathers of the bed
are white aud downy-never 30
much a. discolored by the flames.
Chairs began to be carried down
stairs, and out Of doors, by invisi-
i,le hands; jars Of jelly and pre-
serves found their way out of the
pantry by the same mysterious
means the clock was found in the
cornfeld, many rods distant; the
house doors were locked while Mr..
lind Mrs. Mckee were absent, and
locked from within" All the keys
were tried, but in vain, and some
one reached the attic window from
the branches of a tree, and un-
locked the doors from the inside.
On tho week following a wagon
house, stored with farming imple-
tnenlp, q moving machine; grain
drill, and everything, in fact, that
the progressive farmer delights in,
took fire about ] o'clock IN the day
and were totally destroyed. No
fire was near the building, and no
person was or could be seen about
The premises but Mr.. Mckee, his
wife and a little bound girl. The
barn, not more than twelve feet
distant, was unframed, but the
trees on the opposite side were
Burned to- a crisp. Every day
something occurred-something so
weird and uncanny that the hearts
bf the old couple are growing faint
with fear. Watchers have failed to
discover any cause for the occur
fences. and hundreds of people
have visited the farm house and
come away convinced that nothing
less than a supernatural power
could accomplish the ruin. The
other day Mrs. Mckee dried her
hands on towel. She hung it up,
turned her back a moment, and on
hooking around the towel was in
flames. Nr. Mckee sat gazing at
a child's photograph on the parlor
Inantel. The picture vanished out
of sight, and was found in a field
far from the house. Mrs. Mckee,
who is q famous butter maker,
inilks her cows and strains her milk.
But that is the last of tit dries
up or disappears in some unac-
countabfe way. A neighbor sent
them a roll of butter. as it was i'm
possible to gather churning. The
butter was placed in q tin pail
filed with water. A tub was
turned over the pail and a large
stone laid on top of the tub. The
spring house was securely locked,
but several hours later the butter
&ab found in q mud hole in the
lane. 49, ~ -
All this happens in broad day
light. No disturbance occurs be-
fore sunrise or after the sun sets.
The nights are untroubled. Day
and night men are watching the
house and premises, but have never
yet 'unfaveled the mystery. Moth
ing can be seen that would be likely
TO be the cause of these strange
phenomena. One watcher saw
ilaihes isjuing from a manure pile
and scattered the fire with a pick
and digging downward found that
It had started four feet from the
surface. Now what is it? Witch
crstt?' Or has the devil commits
stoned some Of his agents to hSrrass
tie soul of this manY He is no be.
lever ip Spiritualism, being an or.
thodox United Presbyterian from
his BIRTH Some two years ago he
left the church. ut Thrill GrooE ho.